This is it! Temperatures are finally cooling down a bit and we’ll get some reprieve. What’s more, our air conditioners will get some reprieve, and as a result, so will our energy bills. This is a huge relief to most homeowners throughout Florida, who of course use their cooling systems far more than they do their heaters.
But it’s important to remember that because of this fact, your cooling system goes under a lot of stress, for nearly 9 months (and sometimes longer when we’re having a “winter” heat wave). As a result, it can accumulate wear and tear beyond what’s standard for the average AC system. Annual preventive maintenance will help fend off the costliest and most emergent of air conditioning repairs in Live Oak, FL, but even if you had this done last spring, that doesn’t mean you should neglect your air conditioner now as the cooling season ends.
In fact, here are 3 solid reasons not to!
1. Prevent Further Damage
As we stated above, your air conditioner goes through a lot of hard work, and subsequent stress, over our hot and humid summers. As a result, and this is especially the case for aging cooling systems or air conditioners that haven’t had proper maintenance in over a year, it can accumulate excessive wear and tear in just one summer season.
For example, you might have a loose or worn down component making a noise, like banging or clanging. Or, you may have a refrigerant leak. On this note, there’s a common misconception that refrigerant is supposed to leave your system. That it’s something that must be refilled (what we call recharged) on a regular basis. This isn’t the case—refrigerant is recycled in the system and if it’s leaving said system, you have a leak that must be repaired.
Both of these issues are detrimental to your cooling system if you neglect them. This is especially true if you have a heat pump, which provides both heating and cooling to your home.
The bottom line? Any repairs you need are only going to grow in severity the longer you force your AC system to either sit and wait or operate. If we have a heat wave this winter (which, let’s face it, isn’t entirely uncommon), do you really want to be stuck with an inoperable air conditioner?
2. Do What’s Convenient
Any problems with your air conditioner that you have now will still be there when temperatures rise again next spring, right? So you can just wait until then to have them repaired. Or so you may think. This attitude leaves you running the risk of trying to schedule AC repairs just when HVAC contractors’ services are in the highest demand.
What this means is that you, unfortunately, might need to wait in discomfort until a professional can get out in order to repair your AC. If it’s completely broken down, this is of course not convenient.
3. Give Yourself a Peace of Mind
When spring rolls back around, hotter temperatures and high humidity can both hit hard and fast, so any wait time can feel like an eternity. Scheduling your air conditioning repairs when you don’t actually need your air conditioner as much ensures that your comfort is less likely to be compromised.
